Wow... we're new to Prevost and this is sooo awesome !!

[Seabyrd]

Hi Everyone...
I am Diane and my husband is Larry Byrd.. we live in Lufkin, Texas which is 120 miles north of Houston on highway 59 N. We have been motorhoming off and on since 1977 and we love it. We also are avid boaters (motoryacht) and have a boat in Galveston, TX. We just purchased our first Prevost a couple of months ago.. after much looking and discussion we decided on a 1998 H3-45 D/S by Vantare.. we fell in love with the floor plan and the general condition of the coach.. it doesn't have everything we wanted but came closer than most. We were really torn between the XL and the H3 models and finally decided we loved the open feeling of the H3 partly because we have a 2005 HR Navigator with 4 slides and have enjoyed the space (it's currently for sale).. but we were still undecided about how we would feel sitting down in the front driving (something we share) but now we just love it.. We have previously owned Bluebirds, Newell coaches and HR Navigators.. and now finally a Prevost... we know we made the right decision, it's the only way to go.

Firstly let me tell you how impressed I am with the forums.. members.. etc .. I have already saved a fortune on our insurance 1/2 what we signed up for originally... thanks POG !!

Our coach like a few others came with little or no information on where or how to do or fix things.. I love keeping things up on the coaches we own but have run into a few snags with this one ! These forums are so informative I have learned so much already.. I just can't thank you all enough for sharing all this info. I wonder if I will ever get through reading them all. I don't want to miss a thing.

We have 2 Trace inverters (4000 watts each I think) The top one I assume is Leg 1 and the bottom one is Leg2.. I am not sure how they should be set. I currently have them in the "ON" mode the top one on "Inverting" and the bottom one on "GEN" (auto) . We have 2 transfer switches that have 3 settings.. left side is "GEN" middle is "OFF" and right is "UTIL" .. I understand that if in the "OFF" position they should transfer automatically to the available power source. Only the leg 2 is doing it automatically.. the top one leg 1 isn't transferring over so we have to do it manually each time which is a pain. when observing the electric panel with the transfer switch in the "OFF" mode the power comes on and then drops rapidly constantly.... just keeps doing it... and it doesn't matter whether the "GEN" is running or the AC available... the power keeps clicking on and then drops over and over... as soon as I manually switch it to the appropriate source its fine. At first I thought it was the transfer switch but it seems to be working. Anyone ever experienced this? Or have any ideas.. I guess the next step is to check the house batteries... seems like a fun challenge... I don't believe that anyone ever wanted me to find them.. but I did.. after MUCH searching and then a call to Vantare... couldn't believe my eyes when I saw them..I guess I'll have to buy one of those long pizza oven spades to remove them or perhaps a forklift?? I could not see a way to check them short of taking everything apart !! Now thats something... I'm seriously wondering if they didn't build the coach around them !! I am open to suggestions for sure on this one. I'm sure this is just the beginning of our new venture here. I always loved a challenge !!
We will be at the Rally and look forward to meeting you POGers !!
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Diane

SEABYRD

[ajducote]

Diane,

I can not help much on the Vantare electrical system setup. But use this link to try and find the online manuals for you inverters.
http://www.xantrex.com/support.asp

Get the model numbers off of your inverters and download the correct manuals for the above listed site.

Removing and replacing the house batteries can be a difficult job. The batteries are Heavy and there are a lot of connections and wires that have to be re-connected properly. If you remove the batteries, load test them all before you replace them. If any of the batteries are bad, then they need to all be replaced. But I would make sure your inverters are properly charging the batteries before I started down the road of removing them.

Maybe a Vantare owner will chime in on all the 3 way switches.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Welcome to the asylum. Your questions are specific to Vantare so those who own or are familiar with your conversion are the best ones to answer your questions.

I believe Vantare is alone in running every electric device through the inverters so answering questions relative to them needs to be from someone who actually understands how Vantare has set up the electrical system.

Just remember, we always answer your questions and on rare occasions we provide the correct answers. It is up to you to sort out fact from fiction.

[Alek&Lucia]

Diane,

Welcome another H3 !

Alek

[HarborBus]

Diane, welcome aboard. Prevost ownership is an adventure by itself.

[Coloradobus]

Diane and Larry, Welcome to the crowd. We loved our H3 and will have another when our travel needs change again. By any chance, are you related to Lester Byrd in Arlington, TX. He has a Beaver XL 40 Bus like ours. We are Bus 34 and his is Bus 30.

[Seabyrd]

Jim and Chris,
No..we're not related to Lester Byrd.. thanx for your warm welcome.. we are happy to be a member here..
Diane

[Seabyrd]

Thanks so much for the link...
Today we took the coach to Houston to "Birdland" (RV Service Center) and we were impressed with the help we received there. We were there without an appointment and had the batteries checked. We found out that we should replace them soon. Also found out that they aren't as big of a pain to replace as I originally thought. We will take care of that next week hopefully.
"Birdland" was an impressive facility with lots of Prevosts lined up there.
Again thanks for your help ..
Diane

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Diane,

I helped do some work on a bus that allegedly had been maintained at Birdland by the former owner of the coach, a POG member, and one who was fastidious about timely maintenance. What is unknown is if the defective work on the coach was done solely by Birdland or if there were other shops involved, so just be aware.

It is my opinion (I will stress this, It is only an opinion) that he was taken advantage of and maintenance work he was paying for never got done, or if it was done it was done poorly. I will go further by stating that some of the work I saw (which may or may not have been done by Birdland) bordered on dangerous. One of the hubs had been assembled with no safeties securing the main nuts and that could have led to an axle and wheels separating from the coach.

Many POG members post their pleasure at the quality of work done by various service companies and I am sure there are many high quality shops. But it is my free advice that if you get work done on your coach, be present, observe the work, ask questions, and let the shop know you care, are concerned, and are watching.

I am cynical and admit it. When a shop specializes in the Prevost and your conversion specifically that shop likely has the expertise to do the work properly. But as an owner you have the ultimate responsibility to insure the work you are paying for is done right and at a fair price. I don't have a dog in the fight so I can say this without worry about being accused of being a shill. Look to our sponsors and advertisers to help you maintain your coach. They possess years and years of experience, have a depth of knowledge I can only dream about, and they will do the work properly.

[Loc]

Welcome Diane and Larry. It is great to have some moreTexans in POG. I hope you can make it to the rally in Kerrville in October.

Jon is referring to my old Prevost that had extensive work done at Birdland over the five+ years we owned it. My experience with Birdland was that if Michael (the owner) or Joe did the work it was top notch. If it was one of the other technicians you want to be cautious. I have had 8 years of Prevost service experience in the Houston area and would be happy to provide some insight. Feel free to give me a call at 713.831.6496 or send me a PM.

[merle&louise]

Diane,

Glad to see you on POG. It is a great organization, and you will learn a great deal about your new Prevost. Congratulations and Karen and I are looking forward to seeing you and Larry in Kerrville.

[Pete]

Ditto Loc's Post. In most cases that I have had work done at Birdland, if Michael does the work it is very good....though it seldom happens. My experience has been whatever the estimate happens to be.....you can almost double the price. Example, a $650.00 estimate on rebuilding my Aqua Hot turned out to be $1,300.00 when asked why? answer oh!,that was for parts...not labor. And that is not the only example. I think the main reason there are a lot of Prevost outside is the FT. Worth Prevost branch is 275 miles away, at least in my case.

Also, welcome to the Prevost crowd, look forward to meeting you.

[GDeen]

Congrats on your new purchase and it is nice to have a new member of the Tex-Pog contention.

Don't know anything about Birdland, but, Loc monster set me up for some work with one of his buddies at Stewart and Stevenson in E. Houston. They cured a problem for me that Prevost had been unable to figure out hands on, and for which Marathon had no good answers by phone. I definitely recommend those guys for chassis work based on my experience. They even gave me the normal truck rate rather than the higher motorhome rate.

[parksincpp]

Just wanted to say welcome and look foward to meeting you.

[Will Garner]

Diane and Larry,

Welcome to POG. You will have fun with this group. The group will have fun with you too. This has been the most fun group of people I have ever been blessed to be part of. Enjoy!

[Reagan Sirmons]

Dianne, I second the caution on Birdland. I returned from a function just today where a fellow member had some $7000 in work done and the coach was basically untouched.
Beware. Loc and I have experience in the Houston / Dallas market. It will not be Birdland from my view.
Reagan
Pres

[Prevost.Rick]

wecome to pog call rick or ben we will walk you thru your problems,813-833-2284 , you have a breaker kicked on your inv.call soon.rick

[Seabyrd]

Jon,
Thankyou so much for that "valuable" info. Being new to Prevost is an experience in itself. Luckily we only had our batteries checked there and as we suspected they need to be replaced soon. We were on our way out of town for a week and are still not back home yet. We have friends in Dallas who own a commercial battery company and they say we should use Deka AGM batteries which they can get for us... any insight on that ? we don't want to make a mistake !!
Again thanks for your input we really do appreciate it.
Diane

[Seabyrd]

Thankyou so much Loc, you have the coach I dreamed about owning a few years back, (too rich for our blood at that time) we looked at it at Buddy Greggs in Dallas, at that time it belonged to a guy in Sugarland, we LOVE your coach, would still love to own it !!
Thanks for the Birdland insight. I will have Larry give you a call. We will be at the rally in October and look forward to meeting you.
Again thanks..Diane

[Seabyrd]

Tuga,
Yes thanks.. I have already learned so much, a wealth of knowledge here, Larry and I are looking forward to meeting you and Karen also, see you in Kerrville.
Diane

[truk4u]

Diane,

Welcome aboard... You may want to also consider Lifeline AGM's, the Deka's I had in my Liberty only made it about 3 1/2 years and they were junk. They were properly maintained and charged according to spec.

[Seabyrd]

Pete, Yes you are right about things having a way of doubling in price, we've had that experience with the Navigator, I think maybe Dallas may be a better choice but as you say it's inconvenient. However a friend of ours was having trouble with his AC on a 2002 H3-45 and his bill was over 14K at Buddy Greggs and they kept it for about 6 weeks, I would have fainted !! and for that price that was just a fix nothing new other than parts, for that price I would have expected something new !! Look forward to meeting you also.
Diane

[Seabyrd]

Thank you and we look forward to meeting you too.
Diane

[Seabyrd]

Thanks for the great info..we have used them on some warranty work before and they were good. Larry will call Loc for some info. Hope to meet you in Kerrville. again, Thanks.. Diane

[Seabyrd]

Yes, It sounds like it, thanks for the warm welcome, hope to see you in Kerrville.

[Seabyrd]

Reagan, thanks for your words of wisdom !! We will NOT be using Birdland for sure, such a shame people are out there just waiting to screw you !! I pity all the owners of the Prevosts waiting for service there, they need to join the POG for the real scoop !! I guess the good ole days are long gone eh? !! Hope to see you in Kerrville.
Diane

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Diane,

I want to add to Truk's advice. Your batteries are probably the most important thing on your coach because life sucks when they start acting up and your voltage can't be held without charging them often. They need proper care, and if given the right care and not abused 5 years of life is not unusual.

The bad part about batteries is if one goes bad you almost have to replace the entire set so it is important for you to understand your inverters and how they are programmed and to make sure the charging protocol is correct for your battery type. As to Deka vs Lifeline, AGM vs gel cell, etc. I would suggest you search the POG forum and read and understand all you can about batteries. I think the concensus here is Lifeline AGM provide good service for the dollar.

[Seabyrd]

Thanks Jon.. I will certainly do that.

[Seabyrd]

Rick...Many many thanks !!! I can't thank you enough it is awesome to have that inverter doing what its supposed to do.. I won't forget where those resets are I can tell you that. Again thank you so much. Will you be at the Kerrville Rally?

[Prevost.Rick]

yes we will,if you have any other questions just call

[Seabyrd]

Good... then we shall meet !!

[Nolan]

Hi Diane,
I am also a new member, and I am looking for a new insurance company. Would you mind sharing the name of the company where you got your insurance. Thanks. Nolan

[michaeldterry]

Hi Diane,
I am also a new member, and I am looking for a new insurance company. Would you mind sharing the name of the company where you got your insurance. Thanks. Nolan

First of all - welcome to POG! I want to recommend you check with Kraig Kelly at Explorer RV Insurance(http://www.explorerrv.com/RvInsurance.aspx). Kraig can be reached by e-mail at kraig.kelly@explorerrv.com (kraig.kelly@explorerrv.com) or by phone at (888) 774-6778.

[Seabyrd]

Hi Nolan... look at Michael D Terry's info on here... That is exactly who we used and saved a fortune !!! Great folks to work with !!
POG is awesome.. they joke about being wrong or right half the time but believe me they do know what they are talking about and they can't wait to chime in with their experiences and as we all know experience can be the best teacher !!
Welcome to POG and check out kraig Kelley with ExplorerRV Insurance.. the appropriate links are below in michaeldterry's reply to you. Good Luck !!


Hi Diane,
I am also a new member, and I am looking for a new insurance company. Would you mind sharing the name of the company where you got your insurance. Thanks. Nolan

[garyde]

Hi Nolan. Progressive & National Interstate are two Insurance companies who insure Prevost Buses. I get the policy thru Thum Insurance Company.

[dmatz]

Nolan

After getting several quotes I ended up using the folks below. The were recommended by our dealer.

**************Gilbert RV Insurance,Inc.
*********************5810 Hoffner Ave Suite 805
***********************Orlando, FL 32822
Phone 1-888 RV-INSURE (1-888-784-6787) *******Fax 407-382-9204

[Seabyrd]

Nolan...
How much cheaper were they than the others?
We saved exactly half over the other rv insurers using POG as the recomendation ! We couldn't believe it,
Glad you are all fixed up now !!

[Loc]

Nolan,

I didn't know that you and Nita had joined POG. Does this foreshadow a change in RV ownership? It must have been a weak moment with Reagan and Gary.

For years we had our insurance through Explorer RV. They did a good job. We switched this year to State Farm (at a lower price).

Tell Nita hello,

Loc

Loc

[Seabyrd]

Loc...

Aren't you coming to the "oysterfest" ?? We didn't see your name?

Diane

[Nolan]

Loc
Thanks for the insurance info. My wife did just get a new coach, ( handbag). Anything else is iffy. Nolan

[Nolan]

Thanks All for the good information on insurance for my new coach. Looking forward to meeting all of you. Nolan

[Loc]

Diane,

Unfortunately work is going to keep us from coming. I don't particularly like oysters, but getting to give Jon and Fast Roger a hard time is always worth the trip. I am trusting Winchester to do that for me.

Loc

[Jon Wehrenberg]

I will not be there unfortunately. A prior planned trip takes place at the same time. However, everyone has to understand my posture on this. Don't look for the logic, because there is none.

At $3 per dozen I will drive 650 miles one way and pig out on raw oysters. At $4 per dozen I will likely do the same. At $5 per dozen I get a lot less excited, but if I am somewhere and that's what they cost I will likely eat a good amount as long as I am there. Beyond that I won't start the bus, and when it gets to $9 or more the only oysters I will order is a single dozen as an appetizer.

The last I looked wholesale price for oysters was about $.18 each. I realize there is a labor content and the restaurant needs to make a profit, but that is why $3 a dozen was a good deal for us and the restaurant. But once it approaches double digits it is not for me.

I accept email insults and a hard time.

[Jim Skiff]

Yeah,

Those $3.00 oysters at King Eiders put a dent in the old oyster appetite!

Jim

[Seabyrd]

Loc...
Then I want you to know that you will be missed !!
Diane


Diane,

Unfortunately work is going to keep us from coming. I don't particularly like oysters, but getting to give Jon and Fast Roger a hard time is always worth the trip. I am trusting Winchester to do that for me.

Loc

[rfoster]

LocStar: We sure are gonna miss you- I will eat your share!!

Did you print out the pictures of the Redneck Crossing to pin on the wall of your office?